2018 AC100: First-time Entrants With Zero Prior Finishes

Angeles Crest 100 opens its panic-Goober Gold Rush entry process the day after the race ends. A week later, after a cryptic “lottery,” the next year's entrants are announced. They now have a year to get their one 50-mile qualifying race done, just like in 1986.

The First-time Entrants With Zero Prior Finishes compose the overwhelming majority of the field: 177 with 83 all other prior finishers. I began to wonder what are their immediate qualifications? It runs the gamut from names like Jim Walmsley [WS100] and Darcy Piceu [Hardrock 100, Bigfoot 120], to the entrant with the one recorded 7mi finish.

Also noted that there were a startling number of half- and full Ironman finishers. I didn't include these finishes, because at best its a marathon. I expect yelps on that too. 

The stats showed that:

• 22% have no ultra experience whatsoever at signup, only 14% have completed a 50-miler.

• Entrants in the None category might not have any qualifiers; or the data may be absent, as databases have gaps

• if you're starting from anything less than a completed 50-miler right now, you've really got your work cut out for you. It won't be pretty.

Here they are, broken out into crewed and solo entrants.

Data was drawn from Gary Wang's RealEndurance.com.

PS Aug 3 2016: To my considerable surprise [ahem!] I learned at WS this year that Walmsely was not going to run AC100. Shocking, I know. His eyes are on UTMB prize. No need to fuck around with a fading legacy 100 when the bright lights of Chamonix beckon.